How It All Began
by KNDfreak
Summary: Takes place in Origin. An City Elf's life is changed forever as he, along with a few friends, embark on a journey - a golden path of becoming a Grey Warden. This story contains homosexual behavior, so if that offends you, turn away now. Full details are inside.
1. Celebration Pt I

A/n: And here we are! The first half of the my newest fanfiction story! :D I'm a little nervous because I haven't actually played Dragon Age before, and I'm writing this from a outsider's point of view instead of someone who knows much about the game and stuff like that. But, I'm also excited because I've seen a playthrough of the game and I just couldn't wait to write about it! Actually, this is what I wanted to tell you guys...

This story is based off a playthrough of a Let's Player I'm currently following. All the actions and consequences are based on the Let's Player, with a little bit more detail added on my own on certain scenes. Every quote I write for certain characters are based on what the Let's Player says to them, and every action of the main character is based on the Let's Player reaction to what the characters say or do. Having said that, here are some things you must know.

 **1\. The player is a gay Let's Player.** If you choose to look him up because you're interested on meeting the person who made me feel like I should do this, his channel's name is Angelarts (in my mind, I call him AngelHearts xD He's adorable). He occasionally does gay Let's Plays and you'll often know because of the title. He will also warn you of this and if this isn't something you like, please don't go harassing him. He's too kind for that.

 **2\. The player's character is OBVIOUSLY not mine.** I didn't make up the character, he did. He gave the character a personality - I'm just copying it in writing.

 **3\. Some of the choices he makes are...questionable, but not overly so.** What I get from Angelarts is that he's a man of feelings. He usually bases his character off of what they might think and feel, because he's a role-player - and while I sometimes think some of the choices are his own, he makes it clear he has the character in mind instead.

 **4\. Downloadable Content.** Won't spoil what TYPE of DLC, but just know it's there.

 **5\. This is a homosexual playthrough.** In case the first warning wasn't enough, the playthrough does indeed some homosexual acts, so of course this story will too. Not your cup of tea? Don't read :)

And I think these are the main four issues I want to address. So, pick your poison, and let's get this show on the road, shall we? :D

* * *

 _"And so is the Golden City blackened  
With each step you take in my Hall  
Marvel at its perfection, for it is fleeting  
You have brought sin to Heaven  
And doom upon all the world." - Canticle of Threnodies 8:13_

* * *

It was a bright day in Denerim. The sun was shining, and though, another day is just a reminder of what the living conditions were in such places such as the Alienage, this did not bring the spirit of the elves down.

Today was supposedly a good day, a day of celebration, a day of all good things to come, and yet...something felt...off. It felt...like there was something more to this day, something big, bigger than one would expect to happen, and the cause - the reason - for it all could be found just in the center of a Ferleden, in a small little cubby of a house, a bit spaces away from the buzzing life of the elves.

"Angelus," A voice whispered into the ear of a sleeping elf. "Wake up."

The elf groaned, batting the voice away as he tried to go back to sleep. The other elf, female, wasn't having it however and continued to persist the one laying in bed. Finally, the elf turned to his side and got up from his bed, giving the redheaded elf a glare.

"Shianni..." He said, rubbing his left eye. "Can't it wait for another last minute or so?"

The female, Shianni, shook her head in disbelief at how lazy her cousin was.

"No, it can't wait. Today is your big day! You _do_ remember it, don't you?" She asked with a frown on her face. Angelus cocked his head to the side, trying in vein to remember what was so special about today, a day where Shianni had so rudely barged into his room and began to pester him.

"Summerday?" He questioned. Shianni scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"It's your wedding day! You and Soris are getting married off! I can't believe you don't remember this." She said, shaking her head. Angelus just blinked, mind blank, before what she just said caught up to him and a sense of panic and dread began to drill into his chest.

"M-Married? To who?" He stuttered, looking at his cousin with wide eyes. Shianni just giggled, winking at him as a light blush came across his face.

"Nesiara! Your beautiful bride that _you_ were suppose to be wedded to! She's also here and you're almost an hour late of meeting her. Quickly, get dress and hurry out the front door! Don't want to keep her waiting long now, do you?" But before Angelus could say anything, stuttering over his words, Shianni continued with a dreamy sigh. "Everything is already set. There's going to be music, decorations, feasting. Weddings are so much fun! You're so lucky!"

 _Then why don't you marry her?_ Is what Angelus wanted to say, but instead, gave his cousin a nauseated smile and began to change the subject.

"How does Soris feel about all this?" Shianni shook her head, the smile on her face widen.

"I think he's just glad he's not alone. He's sweating so much he looks like a human." She laughed, and Angelus laughed too, except his was more forced and nervous and really, Angelus wanted to break down and cry.

"R-right. But, Shianni, there's something I should tell you-" He started, but Shianni shook her head.

"After the wedding! I'll leave you to get dress." She said and walked away. Angelus watched her go, the dread inside his stomach eating him alive as he looked up at the ceiling with hopelessness.

"Maker help me..." He whined. Just then, a chuckle was heard and Angelus saw his dad standing there, a kind yet sad smile on his face, arms folded.

"Still not pleased about this?" He asked. Angelus shook his head.

"Not at all. Why am I betrothed again?" He said. Angelus knew he was sounding a bit childish, but the elf thought he was in the right. He didn't even know the girl, he never saw her in his life, he certainly didn't harbor any feelings towards her - except, maybe friendship? Heh? - and now was being forced to marry her. Marrying some unknown girl - at least, in Angelus eyes - and that's not even the worst of it.

The worst of it, is that Angelus didn't even swing that way.

How was he going to tell his bride-to-be this? That he wasn't even so closely attracted to the opposite sex? What if she took it the wrong way? What if she found him disgusting and shameful, and try to ruin his life? Well no. Even for Angelus that was bit too far, but the point was - Angelus was gay. He liked men. He hadn't told anyone that, but that was the truth.

And here he was, getting married to a women.

Unbelievable.

"Tradition, child. With so little between Alienage's and a few reason to travel, you must trust your elders." Cyrion said. Angelus wanted to roll his eyes, but he knew better. He loved his father too much to disrespect him in that way, so continued listening to him. "The dowry has been paid, the Chantry has issued a permit. All we need is you."

"But I don't want to get married." At least not to someone Angelus wasn't attracted to.

Cyrion laughed.

"I understand. Before I met Adaia, I was ready to go hunt for the Dalish elves. Now, get dress! Soris is waiting for you outside." He said and just like Shianni, began walking away, leaving Angelus to himself to get change. Angelus debated for a moment before realizing that even if he did run, the chances of being caught was just a little too high. That, and they would have nowhere to go anyway. So, with much reluctance, Angelus open his chest that held his wedding clothes and a health potion.

A bright, beautiful day indeed.

* * *

A/n: Sooo, how is it thus far? :) As I've said, I never played Dragon Age before so go easy on me please . I would really like to hear feedback :D


	2. Celebration Pt II

Opening the door, Angelus sighed, a weight settling heavily in his chest.

He didn't want to do this. He really didn't want to do this. Maybe if his bride-to-be was a male, someone he knew and actually loved, things would have been different; he probably would have been happier about this - but that wasn't the case. It was no one that he knew, it was rearranged, and Angelus strongly opposed to such ideas. Well, it's not like anyone was going to listen to him, especially if he'd tried to explain that he wasn't into females on the day of the wedding. How bad would that look, he mused. A wry smile came across the blond elf's face when he heard an elf - albeit drunk - speaking.

"Well, there once was a women who lived in the sea. I didn't love her, but I think she loved me. I brought her diamonds, rubies, silver and gold - but all she wanted was to be saved from the cold! She begged me to catch her, convinced me I should. I promised her a house, all grey, stone, and wood. We made love in the sea, we made love on the shore, I was just there playing, but she wanted more! But there's one small problem, you see; I can't grant her wish. My wife gets suspicious when I come home smelling like fish!" The elf slurred, laughing at the end of his rhyme. Angelus, who heard the conversation, stood there awkwardly, the wry smile firmly in place on his face, even if his nose wrinkled a little.

He was never a fan of cheating, despite the rhyme being a joke - at least he hoped so.

"Celebrating a little early, are we?" He asked, causing the group of elves to turn around and face him. The drunkest one - a redhead - smiled big as the elf beside him, hair braided, hiccupped.

"It's a -hic- wedding, isn't it?" He said, and the redhead cheered, hands waving wildly above his head.

"HOORAY! -hic-" He said, before falling over flat on his face. Angelus just chuckled nervously and scooted far, far away from them. _Don't remind me of my doomsday._ He thought before traveling to the center of the Alienage, where everyone was walking around, smiles and happiness filling the air, and yet, Angelus was immune to it all. _Everyone is so happy but me. It's...really weird._ He thought, looking up at the sky as if all his troubles would just go away, when he heard a commotion coming from his left.

"I'm sorry, I just don't want to leave."

Angelus blinked. _Leaving? Who's leaving?_ Curious getting the better of him, the elf followed the voices until he came to a scene where he spotted a family of elves with a cart, their daughter - Nessa, a friend of Angelus and Shianni - looking a bit frustrated, hopeless, and despair. Now the blond was really curious.

"What's going on?" He asked. The man, the father of Nessa, turned around surprised, but the look quickly gave way and his face harden. Angelus couldn't help but shift his feet in response. He knew Ness's father was hard man, prideful, and most of the time strict, and it always made Angelus feel a bit nervous and smaller by comparison.

"Many blessings, young one. We hoped to stay for the celebration, but we must be off." He said. Angelus's eyes went wide, shifting again, as he looked between the parents and Nessa.

"Wait, why? What happened?"

"The human that owns our building had decided to sell it for storage space. We can't afford to live anywhere else here in Denerim." He said. Angelus's gut clenched, as if he just been punched, and looked over at Nessa, who turned her head away.

"Don't you have a place to stay? Where are you going?" Angelus whispered, to which the father's nose twitched, mildly annoyed.

"The Ostagar ruins. The army camp there is calling for more laborers." Nessa said.

"We wanted to look for work in Highever-" Nessa's mother interrupted, voice sounding hopeful, despite their circumstance.

"But that's just not possible." The father spat out, glaring at the ground.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Angelus asked, hoping there was at least a way to help out his friend and her family, but, having to deal with them before, Angelus already knew the answer to that. As if reading his mind, the father shook his head.

"You're still a child, you can't do anything. Enjoy your day and put us out our mind." He said.

"What my husband meant to say is that you're very generous, but we don't need charity to solve our problem." His wife said, offering Angelus a soft, kind smile, but her eyes told him that she agreed with her husband. Angelus sighed, shaking his head.

"Fine, but really, if there's a problem, you should let us help you." He said. The father's lips twitched at that. "Goodbye then."

"Goodbye indeed." He said and the two elves continued with their cart. Angelus had been ready to walk away when Nessa pulled him back, grabbing his arm as she looked into his eyes with sympathy.

"Wait, can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked. Angelus smiled and nodded his head. She smiled back. "I apologize for my parent's behavior. They're too prideful to accept the help, much less ask for it. But...you should already know that, right?"

"I do." He said. Nessa shook her head.

"My parents will labor in the army camp, and they'll expect me to do the same, but...I don't like the idea of being surrounded by human soldiers who haven't seen a women in months." She said, fear trembling in her voice. Angelus already knew what she was getting at, and gave her a small squeeze on her shoulder, offering a sad smile. Now that she had mentioned it, Angelus didn't like that idea either. Nessa was his friend since childhood, and it would hurt him to know that she's been hurt and he couldn't do anything about it. Now, he really felt like he should do something - anything - to stop her from going.

"Would some money help?" He inquired. Nessa huffed, folding her arms as tears started to appear in her eyes.

"Of course! But I can't imagine anyone here has much to spare. We would need another three silvers to make it to Highever. And if we could get another ten silvers, we could rent a house here, maybe one large enough to start a business." She said, looking quite frustrated. Angelus gave her a hug for comfort, and squeezed her when he heard her sniffling. "But that's just dream talk. Nobody here has that kind of money, and if they did, why would they give it to us?"

"I'm sure someone is willing to help. Maybe me?" Angelus whispered. He could feel Nessa tense, and began to pull away, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Y-you would? Oh thank the Makers! But you should hurry. We'll be leaving soon." She said, breaking away from Angelus and walking towards her parents. Angelus could hear her parents arguing, and determination swelled in his chest.

He _will_ help Nessa, bet on it.

* * *

Not a moment after this, Angelus had ran into a couple of elves who, apparently, knew his mother. Considering his father never talked about her much - the most he got was that she was a very brave elf who stood up for her beliefs, and more often than not got into more trouble than she's worth - it was a breath of fresh air, knowing that someone else admired his mother. Dilwyn and Gethon were very nice people, if not a little odd considering the conversation Angelus had heard had the word 'breeding' in it, but he could see why his mother choose them as friends.

The three had talked for a while before Dilwyn and Gethon had gave him their blessings and a little gift. Looking inside the pouch, Angelus eyes went wide at the fifteen silver inside. Immediately his mind went back to Nessa and her family and while there was a bit of guilt, knowing that Gethon and Dilwyn had saved up this money for his own use, he knew that in the end, they both would be very happy that he did a good deed. So, with almost no time to spare, he went towards Nessa and her family - and thankfully, they were still in the Alienage - and gave her some of his silver.

"Where did you-? How did you-? You know what, I'm not even going to ask. Thank you very much, Angelus. May the Makers smile down you." She said, before rushing towards her family to tell them the good news. Angelus watched her go, a buzzy feeling inside his chest knowing his friend was safe, and hopefully, they will stay at the Alienage.

Meanwhile, Angelus has a cousin to find.

It honestly didn't take long at all. Angelus figured because the Alienage was so small, it was kind of hard to lose track of anyone as most of them were at least shoulder's length away when you need them.

"Well, if isn't my lucky cousin!" Soris said, sarcasm dripping in his tone despite his cheery smile. Angelus...kind of stood there, for a moment.

Soris and Angelus had grown up together - meaning, Angelus knew Soris as a kid. He remembered the redhead being a bit chubby, stumbling over his feet, frighten by his own shadow, and pretty much been his best friend, despite Soris being a bit of a coward when they were little.

Older, Soris grew out of that stage, along with being chubby, still kept his red hair - that Angelus really, really, _really_ wanted to touch (soft spot, heh) - and those beautiful green eyes that just _speaks_ sarcasm, yet playfully.

And Angelus pretty much got a crush on him within ten seconds of seeing him. Great.

"You're getting married too, you know." Angelus said, feeling his cheeks heat up at the sight of his older cousin. Half of him was hoping he didn't notice, because it'll be awkward to explain to him that he just sorta kinda maybe gotten a crush on him, while explaining to him that he always found men attractive. And wow, Soris face would probably be priceless, along with being fearful. "Anyway, is the running away option still open? Because I thinking about taking it."

"Funny, because the last time I'd suggested it, you got cold feet." Soris snorted. "Anyway, where would we go? You of all people should know we have no options. And why would _you_ run? Your bride seems like a dream come true. Mine sounds like a dying mouse."

Right. Now the option of telling the truth comes up - and it has to be with the one person that really matters to Angelus. Well, they all do - but Soris and Angelus were tight. Their friendship? Unbreakable. Until now.

"Yeah, about that. There's...something I have been meaning to tell you. Actually, to tell everyone," Angelus scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously as Soris raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm? I'm listening."

"Er, well, it's about...this whole wedding thing."

"Look, before you get cold feet, everything will be fine. I'm not happy about this as much as you are, but what can we do? Our respective elders did this. We just have to live with it...for the rest of our lives," Soris coughed and wrapped his arm around Angelus shoulder. Angelus tried not to think about the heat spreading across his back as well as his feet. "Let's go introduce you to our wives before you say anything else, okay?"

So much for listening.


	3. Crashed The Wedding Pt I

The two elves trudged through the Alienage, smiling whenever they were given a blessing from the others. It seemed like everyone was so happy for them.

Well, except one elf.

Angelus and Soris had met her just when they left the narrowed parts of the Alienage. Angelus had been speaking with the child - he guessed he was hers - and the child seemed more happier about their marriage than her. When Angelus gave the women elven a nod, she merely scoffed and spoke to him and Soris in an icy and bitter tone, glaring at them.

 _"You think you're better than me? Well you're not!"_ She had said, but not before hissing out the words _"Spirit Eater"._ A rush of anger had came over Angelus, as he had felt the tone of her voice offensive, but the blond didn't do much about it. They just left the women there, letting her brood in her misery. A part of him wondered if it was because she was paired off poorly that he had gotten the wrong end of the stick with her. Angelus certainly didn't recall ever doing something bad to her.

"There's the man of the hour!" A voice said, making Soris and Angelus look up. The elf had a darker shade of skin than both of them, brown eyes, dirty blond hair, and of course a bit tall than Angelus, but almost shoulder length with Soris. Soris smiled.

"Taordor! You made it!" He said, giving him a hug. After a split second, Soris turned to Angelus. "Have you met my cousin? He's getting married today too!"

"Not formally, no. Blessings to the both of you lucky grooms." The elf, Taordor, said, smiling politely at them. Angelus couldn't help but smirk a little.

"Soris doesn't consider himself so lucky." He said, snickering when he heard Soris choke beside him.

"Says the one who wanted to run away in the first place," Soris muttered lowly, before speaking out loud. "But, true enough. Still, better to be married and have a real life than to remain a child."

"There's...something you should know, Soris." Ttordor said, voice full of concern and sadness. Angelus raised an eyebrow as they waited for him to continue. "My brothers won't be coming...they left to find the Dalish, you see."

"You mean the elves that still live in the woods?" Angelus asked, curious and wonder.

"Unfortunately, yes." Taordor said. "Even Alarith swears that Dalish elves saved him on his way to Denerim." He scoffed. "Nonsense."

"Wait, Alarith? The shopkeeper?" Angelus asked.

"Indeed! He told my brother that, when he was fleeting from his homeland, he found the Dalish elves - or rather, they found him. I don't really remember." Taordor spoke, looking quite sheepish. Angelus just gave him an encouraging smile while Soris rolled his eyes, mumbling the word 'Typical' under his breath.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it. They were probably just taken in by another old story." Soris said, before smiling at Taordor. "Taordor it was great seeing you. I'm sure your brothers will show up in a few days, embarrassed and hungry."

Taordor smiled sadly.

"I hope so. I should go. Best wishes to the both of you." He said, turning away from them. The two elves watched him go before Soris let out a dramatic sigh.

"Well, let's see if we can find our wives, shall we?" He said. Angelus didn't say anything and followed Soris throughout the Alienage, until they came across a scene that made Angelus feel ill, and a sense of foreboding overshadowed it.

"Let go of me! Stop please!" A elf women cried, breaking free from the man that grabbed her. The man apparently didn't come from the Alienage, as he was dressed way to fancy for that, and Angelus was sure that the man came from the upper parts of Denerim. That, and he was human, so that was a dead giveaway that he didn't belong.

Angelus felt his stomach clench, a wave of nervousness and slight hostility going up his spine.

"It's a party, isn't it? Grab a whore and have a good time." The man slurred, laughing in a way that made Angelus's blood boil. In a instant, Angelus knew he wouldn't like this human very much. This guy thought he was better than everyone - at least, to the elves - and he thought he could get away with harassing the women of the Alienage.

Not if Angelus has anything to say about it.

"Savor the hunt boys," The man continued, looking at Shianni with lustful eyes. Shianni glared at him. "Take this little elven wench here, so young and vulnerable."

"Touch me and I'll gut you like a pig." She snarled, the hate in her eyes set aflame. The man tisked just as the elf beside Shianni cried out.

"Please, my lord! We're celebrating weddings here!" He begged. The man snarled and stomped over to the man, slapping him. The elf cried out in pain, falling towards the ground.

"Silence worm!" He said. Seeing that, Angelus felt his nervousness gave way into anger and he was tempted to walk over there and give the human a piece of his mind - and maybe slap him too, he did do that to his brethren after all - when Soris stopped him.

"I know what you're thinking," He harshly whispered into Angelus's ear. "But maybe we shouldn't get involved."

"I won't let these humans abuse our women." Angelus hissed back. Soris looked at though he was about to protest, but decided to agree with him, if not a bit wary.

"Fine, but let's keep it diplomatic, shall we?" He said. Angelus just gave him a smile - a smile that Soris recognize as a 'No promises' type of smile. Hanging his head, Soris and Angelus watched as the man appeared them.

"What's this? Two grooms come to welcome me personally?" He chuckled, sneering at the two. Soris could tell Angelus was about two seconds away from punching the human in his mouth, so he gave the blond a gentle squeeze of his hand, trying to calm him.

"I'd welcome you in getting what you deserve." Angelus spat out, the heat and anger evident in his tone. _So much for trying to calm him down._ He thought, wondering just when has Angelus ever thought speaking like that to someone who obviously was in more power was a good idea.

"HA! Do you have any idea of who I am?" The man scoffed, looking quite smug, and again, Angelus couldn't hold himself back. He had been ready to fire back with a _I don't really care_ comment when, out of the corner of his eye, he notice Shianni rushing towards the human with a glass in her hand. Soris shook his head and hands, telling her this was a bad idea, and when the human notice this, he had turned around just in time for Shianni to throw the glass in his face, effectively knocking him down on the ground, cuts on his face.

"Whoo! Go Shianni!" Angelus shouted, making Shianni blush and smile. Meanwhile, the guards that were the guy didn't look so amused.

"Are you insane?! This is Vaughan Urien, the arl Denerim's son!" One of them shouted. Shianni stopped smiling, her face going white as she realized what she had done, and fear crawled into her skin.

"What? Oh Maker..." She whispered, hands covering her face.

"Well, maybe his father should have taught him better manners!" Angelus shouted, glaring at him.

"You have a lot of nerve, knife-ears. This will go badly for you." Another one said, smirking smugly at Angelus. Soon the guards picked up the unconscious noble, and began walking out of the Alienage. The elves watched them go as Shianni held her stomach.

"I'm going to be sick. I didn't mean for this to happen." She said, groaning. "I really messed up this time."

"It'll be alright. He won't tell anyone that an elven women took him down." Soris said, trying to lighten up the mood. It didn't work, as Shianni gave him a slight glare, before looking down at the ground.

"I..I hope so. I should go get clean up." She said, walking away from them. The two watched her go, concern, before two women came up to them.

"Is everyone else alright?" Soris asked.

"I think we're just shaken. What was all that about?" The girl wearing a golden robes asked. Soris laughed nervously.

"Looks like the Arl's son had quite a bit of drinking early. Well, let's not let this ruin our day. This is Valora, my betrothed." He said, looking at Angelus with a slight, nervous smile.

"So that means your companion is my betrothed?" Angelus asked, looking over at the women in white.

"Please to meet you. Soris says so much about you." She said in a slight jittery voice. Angelus wasn't exactly sure if it was because she was nervous, giddy because she thought they were the perfect match, or nervous, because she didn't want to get married, or even better - nervous because she wanted to make a good impression on Angelus, hoped they lived happily after ever, and have kids.

Angelus really didn't like his options.

"I'll just leave you two alone, then." Soris said, grabbing his betrothed's hand and walking away from the other couple. Angelus stuttered, wanting Soris to come back, but the redhead was long gone, and Angelus turned to face his wife, who was smiling nervously at him.

"So here we are...are you nervous?" She asked, looking at him politely and with a bit of hope. A part of him felt really bad because...

Nesiara was a pretty women. Had Angelus liked women, _maybe_ he would go for her. She seemed polite enough, and she seemed really into him, and if Angelus did swung that way, pretended that this wedding wasn't arranged, he could see himself spending the rest of his life with her.

But that wasn't the case.

"Sort of nauseated, actually." He said. Nesiara chuckled lowly.

"I understand. My stomach was in knots the whole time here." She said. Angelus couldn't do it - he had to tell her the truth, or else this whole marriage thing would be a lie, and Angelus couldn't live with that.

"Look, I...I have to be honest here," He said, scratching the back of his head. "I...I'm just not interested in this whole deal at all."

Almost immediately, Nesiara's face went from shy to angry.

"Are you saying you don't want to marry me?!" She hissed, glaring at Angelus. The blond bit his lip, trying hard to defuse the situation.

"I just don't want to get married at all..." He whispered. He was lying - he did want to get married, but the problem was Nesiara was the wrong gender. He didn't want Nesiara to get the wrong idea, and was proceeded to tell her that, when she cut him off.

"I see. Well, I hope in time you can learn to-"

"Come on, cousin. We have let them get ready." A voice said in Angelus's ear. Looking at Soris in surprise, Angelus nodded and the girls were off. "Don't look now, but we another problem."

"Other than telling my betrothed off?" Angelus asked.

"Nice job on that by the way, but this is serious. Another human just walked in. Could be one of Vaughan's or a random troublemaker." Soris said. Angelus cocked his head to the side as they watched the stranger walk around. _Great,_ he thought. _Another human._

But Angelus wasn't sure to make of him. He hasn't started anything, and it wasn't like Angelus to start judging someone based on one person's behavior. On the other hand, after that last encounter with humans, Angelus was on edge.

"Either way, we need to move him along before someone does something stupid." Soris continued, looking pointedly at Angelus when said this. The elf couldn't help but blush at the accusation.

"I wasn't going to allow any harm to fall upon my people, if I could stop it." Angelus said, folding in arms. Soris sighed, though, there was a small smile on his face when he did and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Glad to know that. Come on, we should at least talk to him." Soris said. Angelus grinned, agreeing, and two walked over to where the stranger was.

"Good day," The stranger started, a light smile on his face. Something about this guy made Angelus believed that he wasn't going to start trouble, as he was too calm for anything of the sorts, but still. He had to keep his guard up. "I understand congratulations are in order for your impending wedding."

"Thanks, but please go. I'd rather avoid any unpleasantness." Angelus said. To his surprise, the man laughed, though, a bit quietly.

"What manner of unpleasantness might you be referring to?" He asked, more amused than anything. Angelus isn't sure what to make of this human - unlike the last one, this human seemed a bit more...wised and professional. He certainly didn't try to at least make a show of how superior he thought he was to the elves.

"The Alienage isn't a good place for humans to be." Angelus tried to explain, but the smile and amusement in the human's eyes clearly told him that he wasn't leaving any time soon. Had it been any other person, maybe Angelus would have been annoyed, but for some reason, the elf couldn't be.

"I'm sorry, but I have no intentions of leaving." He said. Angelus sighed.

"Fine, then maybe we could compromise." He said. This seemed to be something the human was looking for, because his face light up, eyes sparkling with interest, as he looked at Angelus.

"He keeps his composure, even when facing an unknown and armed human. A true gift, wouldn't you say, Valendrian?" The human said.

"I would say the world has far more use than those who know how to stay their blades," Valendrian said, looking a bit cross, before a tight smile came across his face staring at the human. "It's good to see you again, my friend. It's been far too long."

"You know this human, Elder?" Angelus asked, surprised. Valendrian and the human turned to face him.

"May I present Duncan, head of the Grey Wardens in Ferleden." Valendrian said. Angelus blinked.

"What's a Grey Warden?" He asked.

"They are the great warriors, child, sworn to protect our world from darkspawn." Then Valendrian looked over at Duncan, curious if not a bit hesitate. "But my question remains unanswered. Why _are_ you here, Duncan?"

"The worst has happened: a Blight has begun. King Cailan summons all the Grey Wardens to Ostagar to fight the darkspawn horde alongside his armies." Duncan said, voice graved.

"Yes I...heard the news. Still, this is an awkward time. There is a wedding to be had - two, in fact." Valendrian said. Maybe it was just Angelus imagination, but he could have sworn Valendrian was hiding something - or at least, trying to shoo Duncan away for whatever reason. Angelus made a mental note to ask about that later.

"So I see. By all means, attend to your ceremonies. My concerns can wait, for now." Duncan said.

"Very well. Children, treat Duncan as a guest, and for Maker's sake, take your place!" Valendrian said, shooing the two away. Soris and Aneglus began to protest playfully, and Duncan watched them go, interest peaked.

"So," He said. "He is a Spirit Eater. Just like his mother."


	4. Crashed The Wedding Pt II

Not an hour gone by and the wedding was just beginning. With much reluctance as he could muster, Angelus and his cousin began to step forward onto the platform, where their wives and Mother Boann were waiting for them.

"Don't look too excited, you might scare her off." Soris said, tone laced with sarcasm and bemusement. Hearing that, Angelus let out silent sigh and with a forced grin, took their wives by their arms.

"Oh Soris! There you are! I was afraid you'd run off!" Valora said, smiling nervously. Soris did his best not to let his drop and offered her a polite smile back.

"No, I'm here. Fellow groom in tow." He said.

"My, how eager you both looked to be here." Nesiara said, giving Angelus look of disdain. She obviously hadn't forgiven him for being so blunt with her, and Angelus really wanted to make her understand that what he was feeling didn't have anything to do with her, at least, not as much, gender aside.

"Valendrian and Mother Boann are here. Time to face the music." Soris muttered, low enough for only Angelus to hear.

"Okay, cousin, at my signal, we run." Angelus whispered back, making Soris smirk.

"You had your chance to run, coward!" He said.

"Friends and family, today we celebrate not only this joining, but also our bonds of kin and kind." Valendrian spoke. "We are free people, but that was not always so. Andraste, the Maker's prophet, freed us from the bonds of slavery. As our community grows, remember that our strength lies in commitment in traditions and to each other."

"Thank you, Valendrian. Now let us begin." Mother Boann said, smiling at the elder, before turning to the soon-to-be newlyweds. "In the name of the Maker, who brought us to this word, and in those whose name we say in the Chant of Light I-"

Before she could continued, Soris pointed behind her, fear written on his face. Turning around, Mother Boann was surprised to see Vaughan Urien storming towards the front, looking quite the angry bull with a gash across his face.

"M-m' lord! What an...unsuspected surprise!" She stuttered, surprise evident in her eyes and voice. Vaughan smiled cruelly at her, stepping onto the platform.

"Sorry to interrupt Mother, but I'm having a party and we're dreadfully short of female guests." He said, laughing. Mother Boann glared at him, disgust written on her face.

"M'lord, this is a wedding!" She said.

"Ha! If you want to dress up your pets and have tea parties, that's your business - but don't pretend this isn't a proper wedding." Vaughan sneered, grabbing onto Valora's arm, ignoring her affronted gasp and struggles to get away. Then he looked around, the wicked smile growing. "Now, we're here for a good time, aren't we boys?"

A man in red laughed.

"Just a good time with the ladies is all." He said, looking up and down at the women next to him. Angelus recognized her as the women who had once earlier sneered and spat hate at him and Soris, and despite his personal feelings of her, he couldn't help but smile when she glared him, seeing her fingers twitch.

"Let's take those two, the one in the tight dress, and...where's that bitch that bottled me?" Vaughan wondered, to which one of his friends immaturely began pointing towards the redhead elf next to him.

"Over here Lord Vaughan!" He crackled, grabbing her.

"Let me go, you stuffed-shirt son of a-"

"Oh, I'll enjoy taming her. And the pretty brides..." Vaughan said, sneering at the two women with Angelus and Soris.

"What do we do?!" Soris whispered harshly into Angelus ear. The blond elf tighten his fists, narrowing his eyes at Vaughan, as he started to think of what could he do. If he were to be honest with himself, Angelus wanted to kill him. Obviously, this Vaughan guy had no redeeming qualities about him, and then there was the unsaid threat of rape hanging in the air, something that Angelus despise with a passion.

But killing a lord comes with consequences Angelus didn't like.

"They're taking Shianni." Angelus whispered, the thought of this being a nightmare washed over him, if only for a little bit. Then, the rage inside Angelus came rushing back when Vaughan appeared in front of him.

"Ah yes, the uppity runt that thinks he's worthy of speaking to me." He said, narrowing his eyes. There was a flash of hate within Vaughan's eyes before it'd quickly disappeared in the vast shade of green, a sinister smirk crawling onto his face. "Don't worry, I'll return whatever is left in time for the honeymoon."

"You have no right to do this!" Angelus snarled, returning the hate.

"Every time a knife-ear says that, it makes me smile." Vaughan said, taking a step back as his friend came in between them and backhanded Angelus across the face, knocking him out.

The last thing Angelus had heard was Vaughan's laugh, Soris's concern shouts, and the women of the Alienage screams.


	5. Storming The Castle

"Can you hear me Cousin? Are you alright?"

Angelus slowly started to open his eyes, head screaming at him in pain, as Soris looked at him in concern.

"Just the opposite, actually," Angelus groaned. Then, memories came rushing back to the elf all at once and when he realized what was happening, his eyes went wide and turned to look at Soris. "The women, are they alright?"

"Vaughan took Shianni, Nesiara, Valora, and the rest of the women in the wedding back to the palace." Soris said. "The Elder is talking to Duncan, that Grey Warden. Everyone is getting upset!"

"Of course they're upset, I can't believe this!" Angelus growled, getting up and dusking himself off. As much as he didn't like getting married, the clothes he was wearing were quite...nice, and he would hate for them to be ruined.

"Me either. We should see if we can help. They're back the tree." Soris said. Angelus raised an eyebrow.

" _You_ want to help? That's shocking. I thought you would be glad the wedding's on hold." He said.

"Hey I may not like the idea of getting married forcefully like this, but that doesn't mean I want something bad to happen to Valora. Especially when Lord Vaughan is involved." Soris said, shivering at the thought as a grim look came across Angelus face.

"Agreed. Let's go." With that, the two elves walked off the platform and towards the tree where they witnessed a large number of elves, mostly men, gathering around Duncan and the Elder, complaining.

"Please all of you, listen! I know that you are upset and with good reason, but there's nothing we can do right now." Valendrian said.

"He's right. Running after them will just make matters worse." An elven women said.

"So we do nothing?! They took my sister!" An elven male, couldn't be older than Angelus, shouted in anger.

"Well, he can't possible think he could get away with this." Angelus said, and a women, the same one who hated Angelus - maybe he shouldn't be surprise that they hadn't taken her - laughed in a mocking tone.

"You talk as if he hasn't gotten away with it before." She sneered.

"Normally I'd counsel patience. Unfortunately, the stories about the Arl's son and his appetites are...most disturbing." Valendrian said.

"We should go to the garrison for help, then." Angelus said, but Valendrian shook his head.

"With Arl Urien in the way, his son is in control of the garrison. I'm not certain they will do anything." He muttered. Angelus frowned as the crowd became more unruly by the second.

"The law doesn't exist for us elves." A elven man said, with a bit disappointment in his voice and eyes.

"And even when they return, there is no guarantee. According to the stories, the Arl overlooked his son's behavior before." Valendrian said. Internally, Angelus groaned. How could something like this go overlooked?! Do the Arl not care about what was happening to the Alienage? About the elves? Maybe it was his anger talking, or maybe Angelus was getting sick of not being treated right, but the next words that flew out of his mouth-

"Then we need to do something. Now." He said.

"But what can we do? We're talking about the Arl's _palace._ Even with the Arl and his knights gone, the place will still be guarded." The same elf complained.

"Elder? May I offer a suggestion?" A new voice asked, soft and kind. The group looked at the elven boy, skin dark with auburn color hair, and chocolate brown eyes who had spoken. Angelus thought he may have seen the kid at least once or twice, but the elf couldn't be too sure. "I work inside palace. I could sneak one, perhaps two others in through the servant's entrance. Nobody will notice an extra pair of elves looking around."

Ah. So that's what is was. The elf rarely comes down in the Alienage, but Angelus knew the boy couldn't be cooped inside the place forever.

"We could be in and out before anyone notice the difference." Angelus spoke, eyes wide as ideas started to flow in his mind. Seeing this, Soris stuttered.

"I'm with you, of course, but if we run into trouble, we won't be able to talk our way out of it." He said.

"For that you'll need weapons," Duncan said, surprising everyone. "Allow me to offer my own: long sword and bow. A man should be able to defend his loved ones properly."

"Surely Duncan can go for help, they'll believe him." Angelus said, looking at the Elder, but Duncan had spoke just before Valendrian could.

"I fear I cannot. Trust me when I say my intervention will cost you more trouble than it would solve." He said. A part of Angelus felt disappointed, but not too surprised by the face that Duncan cannot help.

"Then, your path is set. I pray the Maker looks on it with favor." Valendrian said.

"You're all insane! The guards will burn our homes down around us!" Angelus really didn't like this women.

"Enough, Elva, you had your say. They shall try. For their own honor and the honor of the women, we must trust in the Maker." Valendrian said.

"I'll make sure the way's clear. When you're ready, meet me at the Alienage gate." The servant boy said. With a nod, the boy ran off. Angelus and Soris grabbed the weapons Duncan gave them - Soris the long sword, and Angelus the bow and arrows - before heading towards the gate themselves.

* * *

"You made it. I sent the word out to get the servant's entrance unlocked. Are you ready to go?" The servant asked.

"Shouldn't we get a change of clothes? It'll look pretty suspicious going into the palace the way we are." Angelus said.

"He's...got you there." Soris agreed, chuckling. The servant just smiled at them.

"I've got some things. You can change on the way." He said and open the gate to the palace. It was a long and tiring walk up towards the hill, but they've manage to get through the back without being seen.

Then they were spotted by a guard.

Okay, so maybe they did get caught at least once or twice, but still. So far, Angelus and Soris were doing a pretty good job keeping their identities in tact. At least, that was until they got inside the castle.

Chaos erupted, and before either of the elves knew it, Angelus and Soris were fighting their way through the castle, blood splattered on their clothes and skin. Eventually, they came across a room with knights and a dead elven women. Soris could barely hold onto his lunch while Angelus glared at them.

"Well, that's one less elf breeder in the world." One of the knights said, smirking.

"A shame, though. A nice body that one." Another one said.

"Still warm, how picky are ya anyway?" The one that was bending down to check the body said, looking up at his fellow knight.

"Shut it you two. We got company." The two knights stood up, glaring at Angelus and Soris. "You just walked into the wrong room. You know how this works boys, no witnesses."

A fight broke out not a moment soon, and at the end, Angelus and Soris came out victor.

"Cousin, I am worried about Shianni." Soris said, the concern evident in his voice. Angelus merely nodded, his mind plagued with images of what could have possibly happened to Shianni.

"We should hurry and rescue the others." Angelus said.

"Agreed. The seconds moments could make a difference." Soris said and with that, the two walked out of the room.

* * *

It didn't take long to find where Vaughan was and saw Shianni with them, beaten and bruised, while the men around her laughed.

"My, my, what have we here?" Vaughan sneered, turning around to face Angelus and Soris. Soris gritted his teeth while Angelus glared at him.

"Don't worry! We'll make quick work of these two." His friend sneered.

"Quiet, you idiot! They're covered with enough blood to fill a tub! What do you think that means?" Vaughan snapped, looking at the two elves mockingly.

"It means your guards dead." Angelus snarled.

"Alright, let's not be too hasty here. Surely, we can talk this over?" Vaughan said. A part of Angelus knew that whatever Vaughan says probably won't mean a thing, as Vaughan has proven to be a disgusting pig of a human, but the elf couldn't help but wonder...

"You really think you can talk your way out of this?" Angelus asked sarcastically, folding his arms. Vaughan was about to speak when sniffles were heard and the group looked down at the women on the ground, holding her stomach.

"Please just, just get me out of here! I want to go home!" Shianni whimpered, tears falling down her face.

"Think for a minute; kill me and you'll ruin more lives than just your own. By dawn, the city will run red with elven blood. Think about it, you know how this will end, or we could talk this through. Now that you have my undivided attention" Vaughan said, a cruel smile appearing on his face.

"How dare you threaten us!" Angelus shouted, to which the smile turned into a frown - just for a moment.

"Last chance. Kill me and destroy everything you care about or hear me out and change your life for the better." Vaughan said.

"But Cousin, what if he's right? Then they'll purge the Alienage again." Soris whispered into Angelus ear. Gritting his teeth, Angelus glared up at the human lord, anger and hate swirling inside his mind.

"Fine. Talk fast Vaughan." Angelus spat out, but despite the hostility, Vaughan smiled.

"Here's our situation - you are skilled, obviously. We fight here, perhaps you will manage to even kill us. My father won't let that go. Your pigsty of an Alienage will be burned to the ground." He said, ignoring the hateful glares he was getting from the elves, including Shianni. "Or, you turn and walk away...with forty sovereigns added to your purses."

Before they could protest, Vaughan continued.

"You take that money, and leave Denerim tonight. No repercussions, and you can go wherever you like."

"And what about the women? Will you let them go?" Angelus asked.

"The women stay. They'll go home tomorrow, slightly worse for wear, and you'll be long gone. That's the deal, take it or leave it." Vaughan said. Obviously, Angelus already knew the answer to that.

"No deal."

"Ta! I always knew I'll regret talking to knife-ears, now I'll just gut your ignorant carcasses instead!" Vaughan spat out, a murderous look coming across his face. Once again, battle broke forth, and while it hadn't been easy, the fact that Vaughan, at the end, had been begging for his life the very moment he'd began losing was all the satisfaction Angelus needed.

"Are you alright?" Soris asked, picking Shianni up gently. She groaned.

"I think so, just get me out of here please." She whimpered, placing her head on Soris's shoulder. Soris nodded, and looked over to Angelus to see him standing over Vaughan's headless corpse.

"He's dead." Soris started. "Tell me we did the right thing, Angelus."

"He forced my hand." Angelus said. Truthfully, Angelus wanted to kill him from the start, but he wasn't going to say that out loud, not with Shianni shaken up as she is.

"Right. Here, Shianni needs you more than she does with me. I'm going to check the back of the room for the rest of the women." Soris said, and after Angelus held her firmly into his hold, Soris ran off to get the other women. Shianni started to sob.

"It's alright, he's dead now." Angelus whispered.

"G-good. That bastard deserves nothing less!" Shianni sniffled, and Angelus gave her a squeeze.

He'll deal with the aftermath later.


	6. The Right of Conscription

It hadn't even been a minute, much less an hour, since Angelus and his cousin stormed the palace, rescued the women, and killed Lord Vaughan when they showed up. Valendrian had allowed the girls to go back to their homes, wanting to discuss things further with Angelus when the members of the garrison came marching into the Alienage.

"I seek Valendrian, Elder and the administrator of the Alienage." One of them said.

"Here Captain. I take it you're here in respond to today's disruption?" Valendrian asked, but the captain merely sneered.

"Don't play ignorant with me, Elder. You will not prevent justice from being done." He said, glancing over to Angelus and Soris, before shouting out. "The Arl's son lies dead in a river of blood that runs through the entire palace! I need names and I need them now!"

It was quiet for a moment, Angelus and Soris glancing at each other, before Angelus had taken a step forward.

"It was me, I killed Vaughan." Angelus said, ignoring the surprise look from the Elder and his cousin. The captain himself looked surprised as well, and if Angelus didn't know any better, he could say he saw a bit of admiration in the human's eyes, before the man began to speak.

"You expect me to believe that one man did all of that?" He said, but the unspoken word of _impressive_ was still in the air, and for whatever reason, Angelus found comfort in that.

"We are not all so helpless, Captain." Valendrian said, and Angelus could _hear_ rather than feel how proud the Elder was with him.

"You saved many lives by coming forward. I don't envy your fate, but I applaud your courage." The captain said. "This elf will wait in the dungeon until the Arl returns. The rest of you - back to your houses."

"Captain," Duncan suddenly spoke, surprising everyone again. "A word if you please?"

"What is it Grey Warden? The situation is well under control as you can see." The captain said, but there was a slight bitterness and maybe even a little bit of envy oozing in the man's voice. Angelus couldn't help but wonder if the garrisons even liked the Grey Wardens at all.

"Be as it may, I herby invoked the Grey Warden's Right of Conscription. I remove this prisoner into my custody." Duncan said. Angelus's head snapped up so fast to look at Duncan, eyes wide in shock, Soris's face having a similar reaction, while Valendrian looked not amused, and neither was the captain.

"Y-you can do that?" Angelus asked, but the question went ignored as the captain cursed.

"Son of a-!" He sighed. "Very well, Grey Warden. I cannot challenge your right, but I'll ask one thing. Get this elf out of the city. _Today._ "

"Agreed." Duncan said, nodding his head.

"Now I need to get my men out on the streets before this news hits. Move out!"

And just like that, the guards were gone. Angelus watched them go, still in shock with what just happened, when he heard Valendrian grunt, causing him to look at him.

"Can't say I'm pleased with what just happen, but rather than death I suppose. Looks like you got your Grey Warden after all, Duncan." The Elder said, but he didn't look too happy. Angelus was confused as to why his elder was acting the way he is when Duncan spoke.

"Looks like you're with me now. Say your goodbyes and see me when you're ready. We leave _immediately._ " He said.

"B-but, what's going to happen here?" Angelus asked.

"For a moment, they are fine. There are far more important matters that's on an arising that endangers far more than your people. I needed a Grey Warden and I found one. That conscripting saved your life is only circumstances. You did what you have to do to accomplish your mission, and we need people like you." Duncan said, and Angelus found himself squirming uncomfortably.

Angelus really hadn't thought about joining the Grey Wardens much - heck, he wasn't even sure elves were allowed to be Grey Wardens - and though the elf did some digging with Duncan's offer, the idea never seemed to appeal to him until now. And both Duncan and the Elder were right - had Duncan not been at the right place at the right time, chances are, Angelus would have been hanged no questions asked. Still, the idea of being a Grey Warden was...

Wow...that was just...

And to think his mother had been offered the same, had Valendrian not moved her marriage up and force her to marry his dad.

Angelus frowned.

Would his mother want him to go with the Grey Wardens? The obvious answer would be yes, because the other option was death, but if Angelus didn't have that option, would his mother let him go? More importantly, would Valendrian let him go? The Elder seems to not like the Grey Wardens as much despite being friends with one, so really, if he could, he would probably still be held back because of the Elder.

So with that, Angelus gave him a nod, affirming his joining, making Duncan smile.

"Angelus? I would just like to say thank you for not ratting me out." Soris said, giving Angelus a playful nudge of the shoulder.

"Don't mention it." Angelus said.

"Still casual even now. I wish I had your nerve, or skill or, well, anything. No more daydreaming, I'm settling down. Valora's a good women and she has good ideas of how to make lives better for everyone here. Your father had the women take Shianni back to your place. Will you see her before you go?" Soris asked.

"Of course I will, she's my cousin." Angelus said. Soris nodded.

"Good luck cousin, and may the Maker watch over you on your travels." He said. Angelus nodded and made his way over to his house.

* * *

Opening the door, Angelus peaked inside, curious, before going in, shutting the door quietly behind. That's when he noticed Valora standing around by the table, pacing back and forth. Her head snapped up and a smile came across her face when she realized it was just Angelus.

"There you are! Nesiara your betroth is here!" She shouted.

"I'll be right there!"

"Thank you. For me, for Nesiara, for Soris, for everything. I'll never be able to repay you." Valora said just as Nesiara began walking to them. "Well I'll leave you two alone."

"Thank you, Valora." Nesiara said, before turning around to face Angelus. An awkward minute passed before Nesiara cleared her throat, looking at the elf with a bit of hope and kindness. _Great,_ he thought. _She still thinks we're getting married._ "So I guess you don't have to get married after all."

The way she said that it kind of sounded like she was disappointed. Angelus could only muster up some pity towards her.

"We both lucked out, didn't we?" He said. Nesiara's face twisted into a scowl.

"Still an ass, I see. Your friend seems to be recovering, I'll leave you two...well...goodbye." With that, Nesiara stormed off, purposely shoving into Angelu's shoulder. Caught unaware, Angelus stumbled a bit until he'd found his footing again, and looked at the door in confusion.

"Nice cousin, nice." He heard Shianni laughed, and he turned around to see her on the bed, wheezing.

"You okay?" Angelus asked. He began walking towards her as she sighed, laying back on the bed.

"I'll be fine, but let's talk about you." She said, looking up at the elf with a slight grin on her face. "You took all the responsibilities of what happened. You're amazing, you know that?"

"I'm awesome, I know." Angelus said, smirking, only to laugh when Shianni punched him on the shoulder, weakly.

"And now you're a Grey Warden. Or about to be. How does your dad feel about this?" Shianni asked. Almost immediately, a frown came across his face as he remembered the talk with his dad.

"Well...he's not happy, but...I guess knowing that death was my other outcome, I guess he accepted it. He told me that my mother was a Spirit Eater too, and had taught me some tricks at ages I can hardly recall. He said he remembered Duncan trying to recruit my mother as well, but Valendrian practically forced the arrangement so Duncan couldn't have her. At the time, if I can remember correctly from Duncan, there was no need for Grey Wardens so he didn't push it." Angelus said. Shianni couldn't help but smile.

Angelus never noticed it, but every time he'd spoke of his mother, a gleam would appear in his eyes, and now figuring where his magic abilities came from, it must've made a huge impact on the elf, who had been looked down upon by others for his abilities, excluding his father and of course his cousins. To know that there was, or at least, had been, someone like him probably made Angelus feel not so alone anymore.

"Well, I guess something big must be happening if Duncan recruited you despite the Elder's attempts. Thank you, cousin, for everything." Shianni said. Angelus just gave her rubbed her forhead.

"Get some sleep, cousin. When this is all over, I'll come back for you and the rest of the Alienage."

* * *

"So, are you ready to go?" Duncan asked. Angelus nodded.

"Ready as I ever will be." The elf said.

"Good. Then we'll leave for Ostagar immediately." Duncan said. With a sigh, Angelus picked up some of his things and headed towards the gate with Duncan, smiling at the elves that were waving goodbye to them.

 _Your life here is over,_ Angelus recalled in his head, looking up at the direction the son was pointing at. _And a new one is just beginning._


	7. Meeting King Cailan

"Um, Duncan? I never got to say thank you, personally." Angelus whispered as the two traveled up the mountains to Ostagar. The sun was sitting low behind the mountain top, where the last of its rays touched the nearest grass and trees coming from the south of the pathway. It was a nice setting, the elf thought, and just for a moment, he couldn't help but feel giddy about his newfound freedom.

"Think nothing of it, young one. Even though it may seem like I had other motives, rest assured that I only did it for your protection. It wouldn't have been fair if a life such as yours would end just as soon as it began, no?" Duncan asked, making Angelus pause.

"That's true. I was really hoping to die just yet." He said.

"And I'm sure your mother was pleased by decision, even if the circumstances were hardly approval." Duncan said. Angelus couldn't help but smile at the mention of his mother, wanting to make her proud.

"What can you tell me about being a Spirit Eater? Out of curiosity, of course." Angelus asked.

"I will tell you the things I've learned from your mother. Spirit Eater is a class that has all the combination of a mage, a warrior, and a rouge build into one person. Spirit Eaters have energy, and they usually get their energy from devouring souls and cast them as soulgems for later use. Most considerate Spirit Eaters as a curse, heavily frowned upon, although many sees it as a gift. Your mother was blessed with it, and now she passes her gift onto you. You will make a great Spirit Eater." Duncan said, smiling as Angelus blushed at the compliment.

"Are there others? Besides my mother and me, I mean." Angelus asked.

"Not that I am aware of. As far as I know, you are the only Spirit Eater we have left in this world." Duncan said. Angelus didn't ask anything else until they reached the castle, where the structure stood tall against the sky, land stretching for miles and endlessly, as far as Angelus could tell. Despite how many years since the building was first build, it really didn't look a day old, and Angelus could tell that the castle was being well-kept, making him wonder just who was running place and for how long have they done this. In the distance, Angelus could see a few other - guards or Wardens, Angelus wasn't quite sure - in the background just as a man in beautifully plated gold and black armor began walking to him and Duncan.

"Hello there, Duncan."

"King Cailan! I didn't expect a-"

"Royal welcome? I was beginning to worry that you'd miss all the fun!" Cailan teased. Angelus was surprised. He had expected the King to be a bit...stuffed under the collar, on the borderline of being obnoxious, and heck, he even expected the King to hate him for being an elf - despite Duncan's words that there were elvens before him that joined the Grey Warden - but...King Cailan was completely different from what Angelus was expecting.

Cailan looked young, young enough to be around Angelus's age, and his attitude was more easy-going than the elf had expect it to be. The King had a air around him that just screamed friendly, and Angelus wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Not if I could help it, your Majesty." Duncan said, stiffed. Angelus looked between the two, confused on Duncan's sudden poseur going from relax to stiff not moments before. _This feels oddly familiar._ Angelus thought sarcastically.

"Then I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side in battle after all. Glorious." Cailan said as he and Duncan stood side-by-side. A shiver went down Angelus spine when he realized just how powerful the two looked _and_ feel, despite the easy-going smile on Cailan's face and a small, weak one on Duncan's. "The other Wardens told me you found a promising recruit. I take it this is he?"

They both turned to Angelus, startling the elf.

"Allow me to introduce you, your Majesty." Duncan said, but Cailan waved him off.

"No need to be so formal, Duncan. We'll be shedding blood together after all. Hello there friend, might I know your name?" Cailan asked.

"I am Angelus, your Majesty." Angelus said, giving a little bow, causing Cailan to chuckle and Duncan to smile.

"Please to meet you, Angelus. The Grey Wardens are desperate in both of their numbers and I for one am glad to help them." Cailan said, before eyeing Angelus closely, making the elf shift. "I see you're an elf, friend. From where do you hail?"

"From one of your Alienages, naturally." Angelus said. A spark of interest shine in Cailan's eyes, and Angelus, for a second, thought he was looking into the eyes of the a child.

"Tell me, how is it there? My guards all but forbid me from going there." Cailan asked, and Angelus felt _very_ uncomfortable and nervous. How was he going to tell the King about the slavery, about how the humans treat them, and most of all, how was he going to tell him about the latest news of the Arl's son was dead, and Duncan had recruited him just so he didn't have to hang?

Maker, this was either going to cause some trouble for Angelus in the future, or Cailan was going to actually do something about this injustice. Angelus was praying for the second option.

"Er...I killed an Arl's son for raping my friend." Angelus said. Awkward silence filled the air as Cailan's face turned from joy to shock to confusion and even a little bit of sympathy, and Duncan tried to make the situation light as possible.

"You...what?" Cailan stuttered, and Angelus's could feel the tip of his ears burning. It wasn't something he'd proudly admit out loud to anyone, least of all the King of Ferleden, but he did what he thought he had to do, and while Angelus didn't regret it, he shouldn't have been forced into that situation in the first place, had the son been more...reasonable.

"Your Majesty, I wouldn't put it so bluntly. There are events in Denerim you should be aware of." Duncan soothed over, giving Angelus a warning glare before turning to Cailan.

"So it seems. I will hear more about this matter later - but for now, we have a war to intend to." Cailan said, turning back to Angelus with a smile on his face, despite the news he'd just heard. "Let me be the first to welcome you to Ostagar. The Wardens will benefit greatly with you in their ranks."

"You're too kind, your Majesty."

"I'm sorry to cut this short, but I should return to my tent. Loghain waits eagerly to bore me with his strategies." Cailan said, rolling his eyes in what seemed to be brief moments of annoyance, before it was gone and he turned his head towards Duncan. Angelus couldn't help but really like the King - he seemed fair and nice, if not a little 'up in the air' and Angelus was sure Ferleden was in good hands.

"Your uncle sends his greetings, and reminds you that Red Cliffee forces could be here in less than a week." Duncan said.

"Ha! Emond just wants on the glory. We've won three battles against these monsters and tomorrow will be no different." Cailan said, a bit too cocky for Angelus taste.

"You sound very confident in that." He said, rising an eyebrow.

"Overconfident some would say, right Duncan?" Cailan chuckled as a wary smile appeared on Duncan's face.

"Your Majesty, I'm not certain the Blight could be ended quite as...quickly, as you might wish." He said.

"I'm not even sure if this is a true Blight. There are plenty of darkspawn on the field, alas we see no sign of an Archdemon." Cailan said, frowning and folding his arms. If Angelus didn't know better, he would say the King was full-on pouting, and Duncan must've known that, because the smile on his face quickly grew as a playful spark enter his eyes.

"Disappointed, your Majesty?" He asked, the playfulness evident in his tone.

"I had hoped for a war like the one in the tales! You know, the king riding with the faithful Grey Wardens against a tainted God? But I suppose this would have to do." Cailan said, smiling cheekily. Then that smile quickly turned into a dark frown. "Now I must go before Loghain sends out a search party. Farewell, Grey Wardens."

And with that, the King left.

It was moment of silence before Duncan walked over to Angelus.

"What the King said is true. There was several battles against the darkspawn here." He said.

"Yet you don't sound very reassured." Angelus commented, making Duncan sigh and rub a hand against his face. He motioned Angelus to follow him as they both went deeper into the castle.

"Despite the victories so far, the darkspawn horde grows larger with each passing day. By now, they look to be outnumbering us. I know there's a Archdemon behind this, but I cannot ask the King to act solely on my feeling." Duncan said.

"Why not? He seems to regard the Grey Wardens highly." Angelus wondered.

"Yet not enough to wait for reinforcements from the Grey Wardens of Orlesis. He believes our legend alone makes him invariable. Our numbers in Ferleden are too few, we must do what we can and look for Teryn Loghain to make up for the difference." Duncan answered. "To that end, we shall proceed with the joining ritual without delay."

Angelus blinked.

"The what? What you do you mean? What ritual?" He questioned.

"Every recruit must go through a secret ritual we call The Joining, in order to become Grey Wardens." Duncan said. "The ritual's brief, but some preparation are required. We must begin soon."

"Why is it a secret?"

"The Joining is dangerous. I cannot speak more of it except to say that you will learn all in good time. Until then, you must trust what is done is necessary." Duncan said and there was a finality in his voice, so Angelus didn't push the subject even more.

"What is it exactly you want me to do?" Angelus asked.

"Feel free to explore the camp here as you wish. All I ask is you do not leave it for the time being. There's another Grey Warden in the camp by the name of Alistair. When you are ready, seek him out and tell him that it is time to summon the other recruits. Until then, I have business I must intend to. You may find me at the Grey Warden tent on the other side of this bridge should you need to." Duncan said and with a nod, Duncan was off, leaving Angelus alone.

Angelus watched him go before glancing back at the entrance as well as the walls, and chests that probably held certain gifts for Angelus to find.

Time to explore.

* * *

A/n: Gotta admit, when King Cailan first appeared, I've gotten a crush on him xD He's so sweet and a little childish at times, and just adorable. Too bad he...spoilers :P Gonna have to wait until a few chapters appear :P


	8. Alistair The Sassy Grey Warden

Exploring the lands of Ostagar didn't take long; the field was stretched endlessly, with a few bits of old structures popping out of the ground. Once or twice Angelus had met the guards, whom were all friendly towards Angelus, which was surprising to say the least, as the elf explored and, uh, looting, the lands.

All in all, though, Angelus felt excited.

There was a sense of freedom the elf never had before while in the Alienage. Sure, in most parts of Ferleden, most would consider elvens the lower-class race of them all, and sure they weren't exactly slaves in some cases, including the Alienage Angelus lived in; but even then, the elf was still restricted, still resigned to a place that even he knew was too small for a person like him. Angelus knew he couldn't be kept away in the Alienage forever, no matter how badly the Elder or his father had wanted it.

But having said that, Angelus did miss his family.

He was wondering how Shianni was fairing after that brutal attack, and how Soris is holding onto his promise of marrying Valora, despite his reluctance in the beginning. He also wondered how his father was doing, and he hoped he wasn't worrying about him too much.

Eventually, after exploring and looting some chest (he got some good things from that), Angelus made his way over to the side of the bridge, with the focus of meeting this Alistair person and gathering up the remaining recruits so they could proceed with the secret ritual. A part of Angelus wondered if this had been a good idea, wondering if he had simply wished to leave, Duncan would allow it - but then that question had appeared again.

Where would Angelus go? He certainly couldn't go back to Denerim, he'll mostly be cast as an outlaw with a bounty over his head, and who knows what will happen then. There were other cities, yes, but Angelus doubted his presence was welcomed when the news of the Arl's son reached the others. Going to the Dalish would certainly help, but the Dalish didn't really like City Elves, so he heard, so chances are, he'll be refused then, too.

So, despite the ill feeling he was getting about the ritual, Angelus was going to stay by the Grey Wardens' side. Shianni had been right, there was something much more bigger than the Arl's son laying dead in his room afoot, and if Duncan needed a Grey Warden that badly, then Angelus will help in anyway he can.

Looking around, Angelus noted a group of mages circling around to the right of him, casting spells. Curious, Angelus decided to take a step closer when a Templar stopped him.

"The mages must not be interrupted. Their spirits are in the Fade." He said in a firm, but gentle tone.

"What's the Fade?" Angelus asked.

"The Fade is the realm of dreams and the land of the dead. Or so the mages tells us." The Templar said. "Regardless, they are not to be disturbed. Not even by Grey Wardens."

Angelus nodded his head in understanding.

"As you wish." He said, and with a single glance back, turned and walked away. Not soon after, Angelus heard a prayer being said and couldn't help but walking over to the stage where the chantress stood, saying her prayer, while the guards alike had their heads bowed and listen.

"We stand here in this hour, good folk of Ferleden, and we contemplate the death that may await. Death is no failure, my friends. Should it find you, you will not fail your king, you will have served your Maker. Die in this battle, and when you stand before the Maker in the land beyond the Fade, He shall not find you wanting. Go not into death gladly, but with the knowledge that evil has been held at bay by your spilled blood. And if you go to stand beside the Maker, go with our blessings, for you shall not be forgotten. My friends, let us bow our heads and remember those who have fallen and those who have yet to fall."

Angelus couldn't help but stare in wonder, closing his eyes, and shivered as though he had felt the touch of the Maker himself. Smiling, the elf quietly moved around the guards that were praying, when he noticed a women standing by the group, her back against the tree. Somewhat curious as to what she was doing, Angelus moved closer to her.

"Greetings, young man. You are Duncan's newest recruit, are you not? He's not a man easily impressed, you should be proud. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Wynn, one of the mages summon by the King." The elder women, Wynn, said.

"Angelus, pleased to meet you." Angelus said, giving her a light smile.

"Well met, and good luck to you on the battlefield. To us all, in fact." Wynn said.

"Will you be fighting beside the King?" Angelus asked.

"Not precisely. The Grey Wardens will be on the frontlines, not the mages. Still, we have our parts to play. To defeat the darkspawn, we have to work together. It's not an idea not everyone seems able to grasp." Wynn answered.

"You faced darkspawn before?"

"Stragglers, yes. Not the vast horde the scouts speak of. I wonder, how much do you know about the connection of between darkspawn and the Fade?" Wynn questioned, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Isn't the Fade the land of the dead?" Angelus questioned.

"Anytime your spirit leaves your earthly body, whether it's to dream or to die, it passes through the realm we call the Fade. It's home to many spirits, some bereavement, others far less so. At the heart of the Fade, lies the Black City." Wynn said.

"What's the Black City?"

"Some say that the Black City was once the seat of the Maker, but when the mages of the Tredister Imperium found a way into the City, it was tainted with their sins. That taint transform the men, turning them into twisted deflections of their own hearts, and the Maker cast them back to the Earth, where they became the first darkspawn. At least, that's what the Chantry of Blight says."

Angelus stared at her, this newfound information wrapped around inside his head.

"And is that true?" He asked.

"It may be allegory, meant to teach us of our own evil causes human suffering. Or it may be true. It is as good as an explanation as any for now." Wynn said.

"I..I think I'll just kill any darkspawn I see." Angelus said, making Wynn smile, slightly.

"A wise attitude. It worked well for me in the past, but I'm certain Duncan has more for you to do than talk to me." She said, and with that clear dismissal, Angelus walked away from her.

* * *

About an hour or so of endless walking, Angelus had spotted two figures, one in a mage outfit and other, a Grey Warden, talking, and quite loudly if the elf had to be honest.

"What is it now? Haven't Grey Wardens ask more than enough from the Circle?" The mage asked, a bit annoyed. The Grey Warden smiled nervously.

"I...simply came to deliver a message from the revered mother, Ser mage. She desires your presence." He said.

"What her reverence desires is no concerns of me! I am busy helping the Grey Wardens by the king's orders might I add." The mage snarled, glaring at the blond human. The man didn't seem too bothered as he sarcastically respond with-

"Should I have asked her to write a note?" Angelus couldn't help but snigger at that, catching the man's attention and smile.

"Tell her I will not be harassed in this matter!"

"Yes, I was harassing you by delivering a message." The man said. Angelus couldn't help but really like this guy. _He's funny AND cute._ He thought to himself, blushing a little as the smile on his face grew.

"Your glimpses does you no credit." The mage growled, glaring at him.

"Here I thought we were getting along so well! I was even going to name one of my children after you - the Grumpy one." The Grey Warden said, causing the mage to hiss and narrow his eyes even more, before sighing in defeat.

"Enough, I will speak to the women if I must." He said, turning around and glaring at Angelus. "Get out of my way fool." Despite how offended he'd felt, Angelus quickly moved out the way for the angry mage.

"You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together." The man said, stepping towards Angelus.

"You are a very strange, human." Angelus said, not unkind.

"You're not the first to tell me that. Wait, we haven't met, have we? I don't suppose you happen to be another mage?" The man asked, staring at Angelus warily and with a bit of dread. Angelus couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head.

"Would that make your day worst?" Angelus teased, and the Grey Warden scoffed.

"Hardly, I just like to know my chances of being turned into a toad at any given moment." He said, just seconds of recognition flew into his golden brown eyes. "Wait, I do know who you are! You're Duncan's new recruit, the elf from Denerim. I should've recognize you right away, I apologize."

Angelus blinked.

"How could you recognize me?" He asked.

"Duncan sent word. He spoke quite highly of you. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Alistair, the new Grey Warden. Though, I guess you already knew that." Alistair said, scratching the back of his head. Angelus just gave him a comforting smile. "As the junior member of the order, I'll be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining."

"Please to meet you, I am Angelus."

"Right, that was the name! So I'm curious. Have you ever actually encounter darkspawn before?" Alistair asked.

"No I haven't." Angelus answered.

"When I fought my first one, I wasn't prepare for how monstrous it was. I can't say I'm looking forward to encountering another. Anyhow, whenever you're ready, let's get back to Duncan. I imagine he's eager to get things started." Alistair said and Angelus agreed.

"Yes, I'm sure he is. I look forward to traveling with you." Angelus said, and if he didn't know any better, he could say Alistair was blushing a bit.

"You...do? Huh. That's a switch. If you have any questions, let me know. Otherwise - lead on." He said.

Angelus could tell he was going to like Alistair a lot.


	9. Making Friends

"So, since we're going to be traveling together, I'd figured we should get to know each other." Angelus said as he and Alistair walked among the court of Ostagar. As they passed by, many of the guards there bowed their heads and offered their greetings, which was something Angelus was slowly getting use to, if not still wary of the humans surrounding him. "Tell me about yourself."

"You first. Did you want to become a Grey Warden?" Alistair asked, giving the elf a side-look with a raised eyebrow. Having to already answer this in his head, Angelus sighed and decided to tell Alistair the truth.

"No, but I guess it isn't as bad as I'd thought so far. Then again, I didn't have much of a choice when Duncan recruited me." He said, to which Alistair clicked his tongue in what Angelus could assume was sympathy.

"Conscripted, huh? Duncan rarely needs to do that, I hear. I was conscripted as well, not that I didn't want to join. I was training as a Templar for the Chantry before Duncan recruited me. That was...about six months ago." He said, which surprised Angelus.

"You were a mage-hunter?" Angelus asked, swiftly getting out of the way of a random guard storming his way. He half-expected the guard to curse at him, but when the guard just went about his day, Angelus figured it was better to count his blessings than to disturb the moment of niceness.

"That's right - but the joining of the Chantry wasn't my idea. My fate was decided for me long before that. Duncan saw I wasn't happy, and figured my training against mages could double for fighting against darkspawn. Now, here I stand a proud, Grey Warden. The grand Cleric wouldn't have let me go if Duncan never forced the issue. I will always be grateful of him." Alistair said, a small smile on his face. Angelus simply stared at him.

Alistair didn't have to say it, but Angelus could hear the love and caring towards Duncan in his voice, almost in the same sense as when King Cailan was speaking of the Grey Wardens - but this felt different. Whereas Cailan's voice held nothing but worship, and maybe a few admiration, Alistair's voice held a different kind of flame as if he was speaking about a loved sibling or parent. When this thought came to mind, Angelus couldn't help but wonder a bit.

"You speak fondly of Duncan." He stated, folding his arms.

"I spent years in that Chantry, hopelessly resigned to that fate. Duncan was the first person who cared about what _I_ wanted. He risked a lot of trouble with the grand Cleric to help me." Alistair said, smile wary.

"Maybe Duncan thought you would be useful." Angelus said, but quickly regretted when Alistair gave him a glare and spoke with a little hostility in his voice.

"Or _maybe_ he just happens to be a good man." He spat.

"Sorry, didn't mean anything by it." Angelus said, holding up his hands. Alistair narrowed his eyes, but sighed, realizing Angelus was telling the truth and scratched the back of his neck.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you, knowing elves and humans don't exactly see eye to eye, but, Duncan _does_ have the best intentions. Whether or not you believe me, well, that is up to you." He said, looking a bit impish. Angelus couldn't help but like Alistair a lot, and he really didn't want to upset him anymore than he did, so the elf decided to change the subject.

"You didn't want to join the Chantry?" He asked. Alistair sighed.

"It just...wasn't for me. I believe in the Maker well enough, but I never wanted to devote my life to the Chantry." He said. Angelus thought he could understand that. He, too, believed in the Maker and while the elf never had problems with the Chantry, he doubted he could spend his whole life devoting to something well beyond his reach, without ever getting an answer to so many questions he has. Maybe one day, he will get those answers, but at his own time.

"Well, we should find the other recruits for the ritual. The sooner we get started, the faster we can defeat this Blight." Angelus said and Alistair nodded in agreement.

* * *

As soon they went down the ramp, they were met by another recruit, who was chatting with a female.

"So, any last wishes I can help fulfill before you head into battle? Life is fleeting, y'know. That pretty face could be decorating some darkspawn's spear by some time tomorrow." He said. When the women did nothing, but glare at him, he smiled. "Shall I take that silent glare as a no? Ah well, too bad."

The women turned and walked away, just as Angelus and Alistair approached the man. Hearing the footsteps, the man turned around and blinked at Angelus.

"Well, you aren't what I thought you'd be." He said.

"Uh, what did you think I would be?" Angelus asked, curious.

"Not an elf, yet here you are." The man said, and Angelus felt himself tense, and narrowed his eyes. Seeing this, Alistair placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, and Angelus felt his shoulders unwind slightly, making him look over at Alistair, who just smiled apologetically, and continued to listen to the man. "The name's Daveth. It's about bloody time you came along, I was beginning to think they cook this ritual up just for our benefit."

"Maybe they did." Angelus teased.

"Just to give us a good scare? No, they really don't seem the type." Daveth muttered, before glancing at Angelus. "I happen to be sneaking around camp last night, see, and I heard a couple of Grey Wardens talking. So, I listened in for a bit. I'm thinking they might send us into the Wilds."

"The Wilds?" Angelus asked, raising an eyebrow in peaked interest.

"We're right on the edge of the Korrnori Wilds here, miles and miles of savage country. My home country isn't far, and I grew up on tales about the Wilds; even been there a few times. Scary place." Daveth said, shivering at the thought of going back to the wilds.

"Why are the Wilds so frightening?" Angelus asked.

"Cannibals, beasts, witches, and now darkspawn. What _isn't_ to be scared of? It's all too secretive for me. Makes my nose twitch," With a sigh, Daveth looked up at the elf with a grin on his face, though, his eyes did seem to dim just a bit. "I guess we'll have to wait and see. Heh. Like we have a choice."

"They're forcing you to be here?"

"I got nowhere else to go after what Duncan saved me from. Anyway, I expect it's time to get back to Duncan. That's where I'll be if you need me for anything." Daveth said and began walking away towards Duncan. The two Wardens watched him go just before Angelus commented.

"Another Conscripted? Duncan must really like helping people." He said to which Alistair grinned.

"Like I said - Duncan's a good man. I don't think he would do anything to intentionally hurt us." He said.

"I believe you are right, Alistair. Sorry for doubting you." Angelus said. Alistair just shook his head and nudge him a little.

"It's fine. With your background, I should come across a little understanding, and I, personally, should know better than to question Duncan's recruits. Come along, we have one more person to find."

* * *

Likewise, it didn't take long to find the third party member either, having the man standing right before a small group of people, listening to a prayer.

"Greetings, you must be the third recruit we've heard so much about." He said.

"I am, and you are?" Angelus questioned.

"Ser Jory is my name. I hail from RedCliffe, where I served as a knight and commander of Arl Earmen." He said, nodding his head, before getting a good look at Angelus. "I wasn't aware of elves could join the Grey Wardens. Those camped in the valley are all human."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Angelus asked.

"Just that in some places, elves are not always permitted into the military." He said, hoping he didn't offend the elf. "I hope we're both lucky enough to join the Grey Wardens. Is it not thrilling to be given that chance?"

"I'm curious about this Joining ritual I keep hearing about." He said.

"As am I! Has anyone told you about it?" Jory asked.

"Daveth said we might be going into the Wilds."

"I never heard of such a ritual. I had no idea there were more test after getting recruited. I suppose since you're finally here I should get back to Duncan. I shall see you there." He said, and likewise with Daveth, began walking to Duncan.

"Great! Now that everyone is together, we shall go see what Duncan has in store for us, yes? I bet it's a surprise party." Alistair said, a smile on his face as Angelus chuckled.

"We can go see Duncan soon, but I'd rather we look around first. This place is huge." Angelus said, looking around as he did.

"An adventurer? Didn't most of those seemly met an early grave because they went somewhere they weren't suppose to?" Alistair asked sarcastically, to which Angelus just grinned.

"I don't think anything bad is going to happen while under both the King's and the Grey Warden-Commander's watchful eye, Al. If something _did_ happen, however, it just means someone isn't doing their job correctly." Angelus said.

"Al? Is that a nickname? Nobody's ever given me a nickname before." Alistair asked as they walked some more around the yard. Shrugging his shoulders, Angelus turned to the human.

"Does it bother you? As I've said, we'll be spending a lot of time together, and well, I like you already. If you found that offensive, I'll just stick to Alistair." He said, but Alistair quickly shook his head.

"No, no. Just...surprising. I didn't think you'd warm up to me so quickly, and I don't mind being called Al, but don't let anyone else hear that. I don't think getting a nickname suited for a drink would go over so well." He said.

"Mum's the word." Angelus said, pretending to zip his mouth as Alistair grinned. It was at this moment that both of them came across a scene that disturbed Angelus greatly, and nearly ruined his cheerful attitude.

There were cages hanging in the air as a guardsman stood by. Inside one of those cages was man, who looked worse for wear, but it didn't seem like the guard cared for the prisoner, too busy with his shift, and something in Angelus's gut twist at such as seen. He quickly ran over towards the man.

"Heh. Someone finally comes and talks to the lone prisoner. I don't suppose you came to sentence me?" He said, looking at Angelus.

"You haven't been sentence?" He asked. The prisoner shook his head.

"No. They put someone like me in a cage until someone important has time to decide what to do with me." He spat out, before glancing at Angelus once more. "I don't suppose you have a bit of kindness in you? All I want is food and water. They haven't fed me since I was locked up and I'm starving."

Angelus couldn't help but feel the disgust at the mere thought of this man dying just because the guards don't particularly care about their prisoners. It felt wrong and unjust, and Angelus was going to make sure he would give the man what he needs.

"Tell me why you're in there first." He said.

"I'm a deserter, or so they think. I bet there's no arguing out of it from them, though - armies are funny that way." The prisoner said.

"Did you desert?"

"I wasn't deserting, but there was someone sneaking around in the middle of the night, what else are you going to think?" Then the prisoner got frustrated. "Does it matter?! All I want is a bit of food and water!"

"Alright, calm down. I'll get you some food and water." Angelus said.

"Just ask my guard for his. He still got some dinner. I saw him put it in his coat." He said. With a nod, Angelus and began walking towards the guard along with Alistair. Conversation broke out between the two, up until Angelus had asked the guard for the food and water, which the guard had denied at first. It took some convincing, but the elf manage to pull it off, and was able to give the supply to the prisoner.

"Thank you. May Andraste herself rain blessings upon you. And, as I mentioned, here's the key. Use it in good health, huh?"

"Ugh. Considering where that came from, let's not be the only ones in good health." Alistair said as Angelus picked up the key the prisoner had mentioned when they were talking further. "You know, that was a good thing you did. I don't know many who would help a prisoner, whether he was accused of wrongdoing or not."

"Well, I couldn't just leave him there, withering away like that. It doesn't sit right for me." Angelus said, shrugging his shoulders.

"That just means you have a good spirit." Alistair said.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go exploring some more." Angelus said, shoving him slightly, causing the Grey Warden to laugh and moved on to the next spot.


End file.
